Chapter 13
The website, Lobbyists.info, lists approximately ______ lobbyists serving a host of corporations, labor unions, trade and professional associations, political action committees, and advocacy groups.
22,000
Interest groups act most conspicuously in electoral politics through ________.
PAC's
Narrow private interests thus often enjoy an advantage over broader ones. a. True b. False
a
Congressional decision makers need which of the following two related types of information before they can implement policy? a. Technical information and political information b. Information provided by lobbyists and information provided by other branches of government c. Information provided by journalists and information provided by state governments d. Substantive legal information and procedural legal information
a
How do insiders and outsiders use electoral politics differently to influence elected officials? a. Insiders offer electoral help, while outsiders more commonly threaten electoral harm. b. Insiders offer electoral help, while outsiders are more likely to field their own candidates. c. Insiders stay neutral in elections to preserve access, while outsiders more commonly threaten electoral harm. d. Insiders more commonly threaten electoral harm, while outsiders offer electoral help.
a
Interest group activity became an industry unto itself, which is now centered in _________ in Washington but reaches everywhere that key decisions are made.
K Street
The fact that interest groups vary widely in wealth and how readily they can be organized for action combined with policy gridlock and political paralysis raises concerns that a. successful lobbying subverts the basic principles of democratic equality and majority rule. b. successful lobbying enhances the power of the executive branch at the expense of the legislature. c. there are too many constitutional protections for lobbyists and not enough protections for ordinary citizens. d. the panoply of interest groups creates equal outcomes because the government tries to minimize conflicts.
a
Lobbying by informing requires _______, the professional lobbyist's indispensable stock in trade.
access
Campaign contributions far outweigh the sentiments of constituents, when they can be estimated, in determining roll call votes. a. True b. False
b
The formation of interest groups in the pluralist argument occurred because a. the government controlled the means of production. b. groups formed spontaneously whenever shared interests were threatened or could be enhanced by political action. c. wealthy individuals were willing to bankroll interest groups that promoted the public good since the government would not. d. the parties exercised so much control that the only way to generate more public input was through the creation of new groups
b
The largest interest group in the United States, AARP, was formed to market insurance to senior citizens, and it thrives by a. also allowing nonmembers to buy insurance. b. providing members with a variety of selective benefits. c. overcharging members for the insurance. d. operating at nothing more than a break-even point.
b
There is a common assumption about pluralist politics that government programs emerge in response to interest group demands. a. This assumption has been shown to be true with respect to all the post-New Deal programs. b. Although in reality, interests and interest groups arise in defense of government programs. c. This is true with the exception of those groups narrowly tailored to business interests. d. Although in reality, interests and interest groups are not connected to government programs in any meaningful way.
b
What did the experiences of walnut growers and poultrymen in 1959 illustrate about the success of interest groups? a. Groups developed in response to economic development, so there would be competition. b. Small groups with intense interests have an organizational advantage. c. Large groups with diffuse interests have an organizational advantage. d. The universe of interest groups was biased toward those who had money and resources.
b
What do the developments in farm policy and federally sponsored medical research tell us about interest groups? a. Only groups who have a broad agenda have influence within the political system. b. More complex issues and a fragmented policy process force groups to specialize to be effective. c. Interest groups are more successful when lobbying on narrowly focused matters of domestic policy. d. The only way groups can continue to convince supporters that they are effective is by developing a wide-ranging agenda that allows them to influence more policy areas.
b
Why do factions continue to raise serious problems for American democracy? a. Because candidates rationally champion widely shared values and interests. b. The resources needed to gain influence—money, access, and expertise—are distributed very unevenly. c. There are too many lobbying groups dedicated to some moral vision of the public good. d. The interest group universe has grown smaller so that those people without resources are always disadvantaged
b
Why do lawmakers want information about public policies? a. They are seeking an alternative point of view to those party leaders and committees promote. b. Officials want to avoid disastrous and costly mistakes; want information that reduces uncertainty and the likelihood of nasty surprises. c. The most effective way to explain Washington activity to constituents is by having as much information as possible. d. They are lazy and prefer to free ride on the actions of those who care deeply about particular policies
b
Why does modern politics breed professional lobbyists? a. Because money is the most important consideration of modern American politics. b. The growing scope and complexity of government requires agents who understand how institutions work. c. Since the government concentrates on providing few detailed policies, it increases the competition for scarce resources. d. Politicians need more information about how voters and other interested parties will react to any changes in government programs.
b
Most successful large organizations circumvent the collective action problem by offering "selective incentives," which are a. benefits available to everyone regardless of membership in the group. b. in essence, the threat of some consequence to the group whenever an individual defects. c. benefits that can be denied to individuals who do not join and contribute. d. the foundation of the rationale behind free riding
c
New policies create constituencies ripe for organization in part because a. it is easier to mobilize people to pursue benefits they do not yet enjoy than to defend what they already have. b. no one ever mobilizes unless they have an economic interest that is directly threatened. c. people who adapt their plans to existing policies develop a stake in their continuation. d. the hope of gain is a more powerful incentive than the threat of loss
c
How do outsider tactics differ from insider tactics? a. Outsider tactics rely on information that suggest that decision makers could make a mistake by opposing the group. b. Outsider tactics impose real pressure to push politicians to act in ways they otherwise would prefer not to. c. Outsider tactics rely heavily on building coalitions that can run television commercials to move public opinion. d. Outsider tactics capture political leaders through donations and the leadership sanctions members who do not support policies.
b
How is successful lobbying similar to the actions that the President takes when trying to gain support from members of Congress? a. The easiest strategy that wins supporters is by threatening electoral harm by opposing something popular. b. One strategy is getting people to do what he or she wants them to do by convincing them that the action serves their goals. c. Mobilizing public opinion through speeches and television commercials is the easiest way to build support. d. Cutting off access and limiting benefits help political actors understand what actions are in their best interests
b
Most politically active interest groups a. use PACs as the single most important method to influence politics. b. do not form PACs at all but rely on other methods to influence politics. c. have multiple PACs that are utilized to give the appearance of more constituent strength than is accurate. d. are forced to litigate to be able to fully use their PACs
b
One formidable barrier to PAC influence is a. the express prohibition in the Constitution against PACs contributing money to politicians. b. that many important issues generate conflicts among well-organized interests so politicians could have access to PAC money regardless of which side they take. c. the press keeps such a close watch on the financial activity of PACs and politicians and it is very hard to buy real influence. d. the complicated reported and filing requirements of the Internal Revenue Service.
b
One way that lobbyists increase the credibility of their messages is by a. threatening electoral retaliation against any politician who disagrees with them. b. hiring scientists or scholars to testify at congressional hearings to back technical claims made by the lobbyists. c. repeatedly using phrases such as "studies have shown." d. taking public officials on exotic vacations, or "junkets."
b
The use of litigation for interest groups is a. relatively rare because the multiple access points means that there is always a way to influence elected officials. b. the most effective strategy for securing long-term changes in existing policies. c. especially attractive to groups that can rest claims on constitutional rights and that do not have the clout to influence elected politicians. d. the dominant strategy for groups with few resources since the court system can be accessed at low cost
c
When polled, a representative sample of lobbying group offices in Washington identified their most important activities as a. making public endorsements of candidates and engaging in protest demonstrations. b. running advertisements about the group's positions and publicizing candidates' voting records. c. testifying at hearings and contacting government officials directly to present the group's point of view. d. contributing work and personnel to electoral campaigns
c
Which of the following statements about spending by efforts of interest groups to influence government is accurate? a. The amount of money spent on campaign contributions dwarfs all other types of spending by interest groups. b. Despite public concerns about campaign contributions, the amount of money donated to candidates has decreased. c. Interest groups spend billions more every cycle on lobbying than they do on campaign contributions. d. Most of the attention is focused on campaign contributions, but interest groups spend considerably more on research and television advertising
c
Why did David Truman and other scholars argue that the American political system was particularly conducive to pluralist politics? a. The strong national government made it much easier for groups of all sizes to participate in the lobbying process. b. The fact that most policies were handled at the state and local level allowed groups to target their appeals more effectively. c. The decentralized structure offered numerous points of access where groups could bid for favorable policies. d. Having a system of strong parties gave interest groups a powerful way to demonstrate their value in mobilizing supporters.
c
Why has the encouragement of the federal government itself been the most important of the dynamics behind the expanding interest group universe? a. Congress passed laws making it easier for groups to organize such as sending mail for free. b. Changes in the law have allowed groups to lobby more freely to ensure that members of Congress have enough information. c. The growing scope of government activity has encouraged the proliferation of organizations in the nonprofit and public sectors. d. The presence of gridlock has meant that the only way to break through partisan stalemate is organizing separate groups from the parties.
c
Although almost everyone advocates a balanced budget, every spending program and tax break is defended by organized beneficiaries but why does deficit reduction have less organized support? a. It is an unrealistic goal. b. It is an economically unsound idea. c. It is a concentrated particularized benefit. d. It is a diffuse collective good.
d
By helping office holders plan legislation and assemble legislative coalitions, among other things, lobbyists a. will mostly change the minds of legislators about issues. b. have almost eliminated the role of the parties from the legislative process. c. have removed the political consideration of the reaction of voters from the legislative process. d. will not so much change minds as activate politicians are already on their side.
d
Lobbying is defined as a. the press's habit of waiting just outside congressional hearings to interview politicians as they depart. b. the movement of a bill back and forth between the House and the Senate. c. informal news conferences held by politicians on the steps of the legislature. d. appeals from citizens and groups to legislators for favorable policies and decisions
d
Most scholarly research has found that political action committees a. virtually control policy outcomes through their activities. b. easily circumvent the policy preferences of political constituents. c. exert, at most, only a modest effect on a legislator's decisions. d. are more influential on legislators than are party affiliation, ideology, or state and district interests
d
The credibility of political information provided by lobbyists to political officials is enhanced when a. it is privately communicated rather than publicly communicated. b. a group uses only its professional lobbyists to convey the information. c. it comes in the form of a lengthy technical report instead of through constituent letters and postcards. d. a group mobilizes its constituency as part of the lobbying effort.
d
Why does the competition between competing groups lead to policy gridlock? a. The interest groups have been completely absorbed by the parties that the policies are nothing more than the existing party platforms. b. While interest groups can effectively lobby Congress, the President and the Supreme Court have a much freer hand to ignore the threats of electoral harm. c. The presence of so many groups in the political process has made it easier for candidates to raise the kind of money needed for campaigns so that there are narrow congressional majorities. d. Since there are many groups capable of vigorously defending themselves, it is impossible to initiate any change that imposes concentrated costs to achieve general benefits
d